Stephen Gregory Sheldon of Gettysburg and Richmond Lake South Dakota, age 73, passed suddenly on the afternoon of September 22, 2021 with his wife Pam at his side at Sanford Medical Center, Aberdeen.

A Memorial Celebration of Life gathering will be held on Saturday, October 9, 2021. The Gettysburg VFW and American Legion will be holding a ceremony honoring Steve at 11:30a.m. on the Potter County Courthouse lawn. Following, a gathering will move to the American Legion Hall across the street from the Courthouse where a luncheon will be served and led by family and friends with prayers and the sharing of memories.

Steve was born September 29, 1947 in Gettysburg, South Dakota to James and Mary Lee (Natchke) Sheldon. He attended Copp country school for 1st and 2nd grades, and graduated from Gettysburg High School in 1965. Shortly after graduation, Steve was inducted into the army on November 15, 1967 and served our country for one year, nine months, and four days. His army designation was Combat Construction Specialist and he was decorated with the Vietnam Service Medal and honorably discharged on August 18, 1969. Throughout his life, Steve was a member of American Legion Post 135 and a life member and past Commander of the VFW Post 8530 in Gettysburg, South Dakota. He was in charge of setting the first meeting of the statewide VFW Riders in 2021, and he was an integral part of the Gettysburg VFW Purple Heart Decorated Veterans Pheasant Hunt each year.

Steve lived almost his entire life in Gettysburg South Dakota, farming with his brothers Stuart and Stan, and still farmed up until the day of his passing. After nine years of courtship and traveling, Steve and Pamela Maravelas were married on March 30, 1987. They lived in Gettysburg since that time, with Steve farming and Pam working in town at Westside Antique shop for many years. In 2016, Steve and Pam found a home on Richmond Lake near Aberdeen South Dakota as a plan for future retirement, and were lucky enough to expand their community and friendships between both Gettysburg and Aberdeen.

When Steve wasn’t farming, he loved activities that revolved around family and friends. He was a lifetime motorcycle rider and Sturgis Rally attendee who missed only three years of the rally since high school and travelled thousands of miles on the road with countless friends, family, fellow Just Bros members, and veteran riders. When motorcycle season would transition to harvest, his passion turned to hunting and hosting hunt groups, where he made many friends and had some of the best times of his life drinking beer and telling stories (many times the same stories repeated each year). In later years, Steve took his love for “toys” to the sky and purchased an antique Stinson single engine airplane to see his hometown and farm from above. Through this hobby, he grew close to many other local pilots and deeply appreciated their help and friendship while learning to fly. When Steve wasn’t out exploring by land and air, he was having morning coffee and visits with the guys, reading hundreds of books, tinkering on projects, cruising on the pontoon and the tiny “Little Blue Beer Can” boat, and bonding with his many canine companions and other various animals he adopted as pets.

Although settled in rural South Dakota, Steve, Pam, and their daughter Alexa recall years of family road trips across the US and beyond to visit family and friends, camp in State and National Parks, and see countless cities together. He loved to travel and learn, and always came home with exciting and entertaining stories from what they had seen. From the woods of Wisconsin to sleeping in pickup truck beds California, and even backpacking through Europe, Steve was an adventurous soul. Once the years went by and things started to quiet down in his life, Steve rediscovered his love of adventure and wildlife in his own backyard at Richmond Lake with his birdwatching, wood duck houses, and yearly Purple Martin residents. He kept multiple bird feeders full for the chickadees and robins, and even had some unorthodox ways to keep away the Starlings and Sparrows (involving a BB gun). He always kept binoculars by the window to track Manny the Muskrat who lived in the bay, and the highlight of his birdwatching hobby was twice! witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime hatched group of baby wood ducks jumping from their nest into the lake. One of the best phone calls his daughter remembers receiving was his excitement at seeing the baby ducks that day after his many years of work and care for his bird habitats.

Steve is survived by his wife Pam; his daughter Alexa “Lexi”, Ames, IA; brothers: Stuart and Stanley of Gettysburg; sisters: Sherry Nalls, Rapid City, SD, Susan (Delwin) Yost, Mobridge, SD, and Shannon Hamm,  Rapid City, and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles, and cousins.

Preceding Steve in death were his infant brother Scott; his mother, Mary Lee (Natchke) Sheldon; his father James Peter Sheldon; and sister Sandy Hagemeyer.

Should friends desire, contributions may be made to the Gettysburg VFW, PO Box 15, Gettysburg, SD 57442 or Ralph Lieu Post #135, PO Box 31, Gettysburg, SD 57442.

The Sheldon families wish to thank the countless people whom have reached out to offer help in so many ways. We hope that you join us in person or join us in thought on October 9, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. in your casual and comfortable attire; harvest-dusty or Harley shirts and masks welcomed..Steve would approve!

The interment will be held at a later date in the Dresbach, MN Cemetery.

Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg has been entrusted with Steve’s arrangements.

1. Add to favourites
2. Report abuse